AN: Do to my inability to write a story that doesn't have its facts checked, there's a glossary in the end AN, so you know what the hell I'm talking about. I did my best to make it readable without the glossary, so hopefully it will be unnecessary.

I brought the song "When You Were Young" by the Killers, back into the story in this chapter. The lyrics are still on the 1st chapter. I don't own the song it was just the inspiration for this story. You will find the reference to the song in Axel's POV toward the middle of the last section.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm not a doctor, and I don't even own a Smith & Wessen, that's way too expensive.

EvilScotsman: Ha, I'm putting you in the AN again ^_^ Thanks for letting me rant to you over and over again about how much I hated doing the research for this chapter. It was exhausting, and you were always there to listen to me whine. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. ^_^

Chapter 20 – He Doesn't Look a Thing Like Jesus

Oh…the shit dun hit the fan now.

I shoved Demyx away from Zexion to grab his attention, "Dem, focus" I pointed to my temple. "He's still breathing, it's just…weak." I knelt down next to Demyx as I heard the sound of an ambulance in the distance. Placing my shaking hand on my friend's wrist, I checked for a pulse, it was faint but still there. When I finished Demyx pulled Zexion back into his arm, and that's when I saw the blood. The rain was trying to hide it, but I could see.

It looked like someone had tried to shoot Zexion in the heart, but they missed. His skin was starting to match his hair; his troubled breathing, the weak pulse, and the place the bullet hit was making me think he had a pneumothorax. "Dem, I think he's got a punctured lung."

"Oh, God!" Demyx cried.

"No, no, Dem, that's kind of good. It could've been worse. I think most people with a punctured lung live." Although, the fact that he was unconscious led me to believe that his breathing trouble had led to hypoxia, and we really needed to get him help before he went into a coma from lack of oxygen. It was incredibly difficult to focus on Zexion when I had no idea where Roxas was, but one hand kept finding Zexion's wrist to check his pulse while the other covered his bleeding wound. I knew I couldn't do anything for Roxas right now, but I could try to save my friends' lives. If Zexion dies, Demyx dies. Even if he's still physically here, Demyx will never be the same.

The crowd around us began to make a path as two paramedics came in with a stretcher. Demyx and I moved away so they could strap Zexion up and start pumping air into him. Then I watched as they rolled Zexion to the ambulance, lifted him into it, and Demyx entered behind them to distracted to say anything to me. I stood shocked and slightly shaking as I watched them close the doors and drive away.

When I could no longer see the ambulance I turned away from the road and began to search for any sign of Roxas. I looked everywhere, but there was nothing. Nothing that even remotely said he was here, or gave a hint as to where he went. Fuck legal. Xemnas is dead when I find him. He attacked my friend and he stole my boyfriend, he is fucked. I stormed away from the crime scene and went to the music shop to get my Lambo.

I was fuming as I drove to my apartment. My knuckles were white on the steering wheel, my foot was pressing the gas pedal to the floor, and I was biting the inside of my mouth so hard I could taste blood. Godsmack was blasting from my speakers drowning out all the blaring beeps I was getting from the other cars. But soon enough I was home. Scratch that, it was just an apartment without Roxas. I couldn't call it home.

I threw open the door and rushed to my bedroom, falling to the floor next to my bed. My hand began to rummage through the shit under my bed until it landed on a box, "Yes." I dragged it out and opened it up to reveal my Smith & Wessen 1911. I pulled out the shiny eight inch weapon. The muzzle was glistening silver, while the wooden stock was fire engine red, and the butt underneath it was black. I loved this gun, but I definitely didn't care for it as well as I should. I wasn't gonna take the risk of a misfire with Roxy on the line. So I pocketed the gun and stuck my arm back under the bed. Two is better than one any way. My hand quickly found the next box, containing my revolver, and pulled it out.

This eleven inch, stainless steel gun would definitely be reliable. Revolvers don't need to be cleaned as much as pistols, which was a good thing because I can't remember the last time I pulled these out. As I picked the silver gun up I traced my finger along the Smith & Wesson logo on the muzzle. Standing up I kicked the boxes under the bed and concealed both guns in the long trench coat I had been wearing today. The ten shot revolver was probably my best chic but I was bringing the pistol, and my twelve inch ka-bar knife, just in case.

When I felt I had everything I needed to convince Xemnas that Roxas was mine, I locked up and went back to my car, to meet Demyx at the hospital. Before I stepped in I put my armed coat in the passenger's seat, so no one would think I was attacking the hospital, and then I took off.

oOo

"What do you mean I can't see him!? I'm his boyfriend, get the fuck out of my way!" I yelled at the doctors, and yes I swore. I don't give a flyin' fuck at the moment. I've been here for almost four hours and I want to see Zexy but they keep telling me I can't. I can feel the tears coming again. How can they keep me from him? They won't even tell me what's wrong or if he's okay or dead. Several doctors, nurses, and patients were watching me as I screamed at them to let me see Zexion. Now two security guards were advancing upon me, and they grabbed my arms as I tried to doge their massive bodies. "No, no, Zexy? Why can't I be with my boyfriend? He might be d-dying!"

"Only family." A doctor stated as if my pain meant nothing. I started to kick and thrash around in the security guards' arms when they suddenly stopped moving.

"What's going on?" I heard a familiar voice.

"Axel! Axel they won't let me see Zexion. They say I'm not family and only family can see him. But Zexy's family is all dead. I'm all he has and they won't even tell me if he's alive." I cried to my best friend. I didn't know what else to do. I was fighting a losing battle. When I had looked up at hearing Axel's voice he had looked like he was ready to kill someone, but now…now he looked like he was ready to bring the wrath of all gods down upon the earth and say 'fuck it, everyone can burn'. I shuddered at the thought; he was scary when he was pissed off. Those brilliant green eyes of his were a million shades darker than normal, and there was a fire burning in them. Shit was gonna go down.

"Listen you fucking pieces of shit!" Axel says in an eerily calm voice. I looked around the room nervously. Only one nurse seemed to be worried, and she was inching closer to me, everyone else seemed to think this was a joke. "They've been together for eight fucking years. You are not keeping them apart!" Axel said getting louder with each word, and then he lunged at the two guards around me, sending them both to the floor. I backed away as he went into attack mode and several people began to surround him. They were in for a rude awakening if they thought they could keep him down in the mood he was in.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and whipped around, ready to attack whoever it was, but I stopped when I saw that it was the worried nurse who had been inching toward me. She placed a single finger over her lips and motioned for me to follow her through a set of double doors. I didn't hesitate. Zexion was somewhere behind those doors. She took me down several hallways and led me into a room where a doctor was looking over…Zexy. I tried to leap forward but the nurse stopped me. "Doctor." She said grabbing the man's attention. "I finally found his family. This is his brother. He has no other living relatives."

"Very well." He said looking over Zexion's charts. "Leave us." I gave the nurse a grateful look as she left the room. "You're his brother?" I nodded, and the doctor turned to Zexion, who I now saw was awake, kind of. He looked like he was ready to pass out at any moment. I smiled. "Is this your brother?" Zexy nodded. "I'm doctor Vexen." He held his hand out to me and I briefly shook it before walking to Zexion and grabbing his chilled hand. Tears were forming in the corners of my eyes again. I was so relieved to see him awake and responsive. He smiled up at me and I quickly returned it, trying to keep my tears from falling. "I was able to remove the bullet, but it had already caused a traumatic pneumothorax."

"Um, no offense sir, but I own a music shop." I thought I saw a brief smile cross the blond doctor's face before he explained.

"It caused his lung to collapse. See there is a collection of air in between his lung and inner chest wall. The bullet also caused a hemothorax, which means there is also blood between the chest wall and lung. Now we've given him a thoracostomy tube, uh, a chest tube," Dr. Vexen corrected himself at my blank look and indicated a tube that was sticking out of Zexion to the right and a little under his nipple, "To drain the blood and air. We'll have to leave it in for a few days. The lack of oxygen caused a hypoxia…"

"Hypoxia?"

"Lack of oxygen in the blood which caused him to fall into unconsciousness. " But as you can see he's…um, well sometimes he's awake. He's on quite a few pain killers, so he'll be out of it for a while. His blood oxygen level has been raised. The surgery took about four hours, but went well. And I think he should regain full consciousness in about two or three hours. Any questions?"

"Is he going to be okay?"

"As long as the chest tube doesn't get infected he should be fine. Is that all?" I nodded as I sat down in a seat next to Zexion's bed. He'd fallen asleep and looked quite peaceful. It was as though he'd never been shot, and I was just watching him sleep as I so often do. "I'll come to check on him again and several nurses will continue to come through here and make sure he's doing well and has all of his medications. Okay?" I nodded once again and he left me alone with my lover…er, brother. I have to be careful about that. While I was thinking about where Axel may be I heard a murmur to my right, and quickly brought myself closer to Zexion. "What'd you say baby, you're all slurry from the drugs."

"Mmm…he saved me." Zexy slurred with his eyes still mostly closed.

"Who, Vexen?" My lover's head slowly shook in response.

"No, Roxas. Hmm, he bit Xemnas…Xemnas missed my heart…mmm, took him away." Zexion muttered before falling back asleep I owed Roxas my life. He risked his own life to save Zexion. I hope Axel finds him.

oOo

I stormed away from the hospital, after they threw me out, threatening to call the police. At least that nurse grabbed Demyx while I caused a distraction; I hope he got to see Zexion. He didn't deserve to be treated like that and I was not in a good mood. Well, I've done everything I can for Demyx and Zexion, now it's time to find Roxas. I threw myself into my car and took off like a bat out of hell.

Surprisingly, no cops saw me in my mad rush to get to the outskirts of town. And once I got there I began searching for the gap in the trees that would lead me to Xemnas' home. It wasn't difficult to find. For anyone else sure, but I knew the gap well. When I was young I'd come here often. Xemnas was somewhat of a hero to me. I loved him. In my drugged out haze I loved that bastard. Even when he raped me, I loved him, because he was my savior. He took the pain away from me.

When I was with Xemnas I never had to think about the fact that my mother was dead. The woman who had taken care of me for all of my twelve years was dead. There were few certainties in my life: Would I eat tonight, I never knew, where would I sleep, how could I know, would I live to see another day, I hoped not. Then Xemnas came into my life and I knew for certain that he would be in that same spot two times a week.

Meeting Xemnas had made me feel like I had something to hold onto, someone who would always be there, someone who could take the pain away. I clung to Xemnas like my life depended on it. Whenever he wanted something I gave it to him. When I didn't want to give it, he took it, but I still loved him. I had failed to mention to Roxas that the first time Xemnas asked for sex I denied him. I was fourteen, I'd given him handjobs and blowjobs, but I didn't feel ready for what he was asking for, so I said 'no', and he took it anyway. But I still loved him, he'd hurt me, but it felt good to make him feel good. And eventually it didn't hurt anymore.

He always told me I was his favorite. He said no one could pleasure him like I could. And I believe that, there is no doubt in my mind that I was the best he had, because it meant more than drugs to me. I loved him and I wanted to pleasure him for that fact alone, not just the drugs that I would receive when I finished. Like Zexion said, I had learned everything I could about Xemnas, in that stalker sort of way, because I thought I loved him when I was young. I just thought he was a beautiful man come to save me. In reality, he was quite the opposite.

I shifted the Lambo into park as I pulled into the driveway of the dreary mansion. I used to think it was beautiful, but those shining white bricks would never again be able to light the darkness for me. This would forever be a place of bad memories for me now. I quickly pulled my armed coat on as I stepped out of the car, placing my left hand on top of my pistol. Even if Roxas wasn't here, I might be able to find out where Xemnas is keeping him.

Ignoring all the politeness society teaches us to display as a common courtesy, I stomped up the front step and kicked the door in without so much as a tap of warning. I looked around the room at all of Xemnas' stunned men, apparently they aren't used to seeing a redhead on edge busting through their door. The first one to make a move, a mere four feet away from me, was the man I was looking for. "Where you going, Jackson?" I ran forward and slammed Xemnas' second-in-command into the wall with my right hand and pulled the gun out with my left pointing it at the other men in the room to keep them away. "Where the fuck is Roxas?!" I yelled into Jackson's ear as I held him to the wall by his neck.

He smiled knowingly at me before answering, "You think Xemnas would bring Roxas to a place you know about?"

Putting my gun had down for a moment I pulled Jackson away from the wall, and then slammed him back into it. "Tell me where he is!" I raised the pistol again.

"You won't shoot us…" Someon began to say behind me. BAM. I was not in the mood for this shit. After pulling the trigger I heard someone scream and fall to the floor, and I gripped the gun tighter.

"Next one will be a killing blow. Now tell me where Roxas is!" I demanded and Jackson just laughed.

"Your outnumbered Axel. And Xemnas isn't on your side this time." I was about to hit Jackson when I hear someone move behind me. Twisting around, while still holding Jackson, I saw that the men were just helping their fallen comrade stop his leg from bleeding.

"Sorry Jackson, this guy's insane and Xemnas isn't worth our lives. We're leaving." One of the men said as he helped the man I shot to his feet. Deciding to let them leave , I turned back to Jackson and punched him.

"I'm not stupid! If I knew where Roxas was I'd be there, not here asking you." I snarled pointing the pistol in his face. "Now I know you know where Xemnas is keeping Roxas. Tell me!"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Because I'm feeling murderous, and quite frankly, I couldn't give a rats ass if I go to jail as long as Roxas is safe."

"You, Axel, go to jail. Please." He laughed. I smirked back at him before switching my arms. Now my left arm, with the gun, was holding him to the wall by his neck and my right arm was pulling out the knife. I held it in front of his face still smirking as his eyes narrowed.

"Tell me Jackson," I ran the knife lightly across his face, not even scratching it, "How're you going to feel when you're replaced again."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I remember you were pissed when Xemnas replaced you with me. And now he's doing it again, with Roxas."

"He wouldn't do that again. I'm his favorite." Jackson said in a complete denial.

"Yeah, well you're getting up in the age department and he likes 'em young." I brought the knife down between us and cut the button off his pants, "And I don't think he'll like you too much after you're castrated." Bingo! Castration's the magic word. I smiled when his eyes grew with worry and he tried to fight me off. Unfortunately for him, he was a very small man and I was much stronger. No doubt, Xemnas picked Jackson for his small stature. He preferred his fuck buddies to be juvenile and Jackson's size probably helped him fantasize.

"Wait, wait! I'll tell you where he is. Please don't castrate me." Jackson cried.

After tying him to one of the columns in the mansion so I would be able to find him if he was lying to me, I walked out of the mansion. Then I stepped into the Lambo and sped off in the direction I was told to go. I could only hope that Xemnas hadn't done anything to Roxas yet.

AN: I realize that not all hospitals will handle a situation like this in the same way. But give me a break, I did about ten hours of research for this chapter and I couldn't find much about this in my research. I tried I really did try to make the chapter realistic. If there are any imperfections I am sorry. If you'd like to correct me, do so nicely, and I'll try to fix it in the second edit/rewrite.

I don't know if it's noticeable, I've been told it is, but I do research for my stories in order to keep them realistic. I used a few big medical words in this chapter and I tried to write them with the definition inside the story but if you missed the subtle definitions here they are:

Pneumothorax-is the collection of air or gas in the space around the lungs.

Traumatic Pneumothorax-is a collection of air inside the chest, between the lung and inner chest wall, which causes the lung to collapse.

Hemothorax-a collection of blood in the space between the chest wall and the lung (the pleural cavity).

Hypoxia-a lack of oxygen in the blood

I also had to do some research on guns, in order to choose what type Axel would use, and some for some other reasons. But in order to describe the gun I needed to know some terminology, so if you're like me this may be of use:

Pistol: Synonym for a handgun that does not have a revolving cylinder.

Revolver: Handgun that has a cylinder with holes to contain the cartridges. The cylinder revolves to bring the cartridge into position to be fired. This is "single-action" when the hammer must be cocked before the trigger can fire the weapon. It is "double-action" when pulling the trigger both cocks and fires the gun.

Butt or buttstock: The portion of the gun which is held or shouldered

Stock: A wood, metal, or plastic frame that holds the barrel and action and allows the gun to be held firmly.

Muzzle: The end of the barrel out of which the bullet comes

If you want to see the actual pistol, type Model SW1911 Compact ES into google. I think I described it well enough that you'll be able to find it out of the choices google gives you.

If you want to see the revolver, type Model 617 Revolver - 6", 10-Shot. And if you need to see the knife, type ka-bar knife, and be creative.

Thanks for all reviews, favs, and alerts.

For any "The Other Side isn't so Green" fans, there are two links to fanvideos that were made for that story, on my profile.